Monday, August 22, 2011

Marvel's November previews reviewed

The recent conversation about the number of female creators DC called on to help them relaunch their line of comics in the 21st century*, centering on the fact that the number was apparently even smaller than the number of ladies working on their comics before the reluanch, must have been in the back of my mind while reading through Marvel’s latest round of solicits, as the female names jumped out at me.

There seemed to be a relatively lot of them, so I went back and counted. I don’t know all of these women, so it’s possible some of them may not actually be women—those two Stephanies, for example, might be dudes for all I know—but I counted nine female creators.

Re-reviewing the solicitations for the books Marvel’s Distinguished Competition are planning on publishing in October, I only saw one credit for a woman writing or drawing a new comic, and that was Gail Simone, writer of Batgirl, co-writer of Fury of Firestorm.

By themselves those two facts don’t really mean all that much, as it’s possible Marvel just publishes nine times as many books as DC (I didn’t count up the books or do the math, as math is hard), but thought it was worth noting in light of recent events.

So what are the books those nine ladies and a whole bunch of dudes are making? Well, here are the full solicits at Comic Book Resources, and here’s some discussion of ‘em…

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #673 Written by DAN SLOTT
Pencils & Cover by STEFANO CASELLI
SPIDER-ISLAND: EPILOGUE
It’s the morning after for New York City. See how everything has changed for Peter Parker and the spider-crew now that he’s once again the world’s only Spider-Man… or is he?_32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

I like this cover. I see Caselli, despite being both one hundred million times better an artist than me and a paid professional doing this for a living, didn’t bother trying to replicate the complex, hand-drawn architecture of the original he’s homaging either.

DC Comics put the person who drew this image on first Justice League of America, and then on Teen Titans, part of their appeal-to-a-wider-audience relaunch being sold with the tagline “The World’s Greatest Heroes…By the World’s Greatest Creators.”

The new Avengers in this team is basically all old Avengers, but mostly new to the post-Bendis line-up. I’m even less likely to ever read this then I was during the earlier issues of this volume, when John Romita Jr. seemed to be drawing the hell out of it, but I am glad to see Black Panther on the team. They need to get that cat a movie and stick him in The Avengers 2, because Avengers the movie is looking awfully white.

(Also, I don’t care for Acuna, if anyone cares what I care for)

AVENGING SPIDER-MAN #1Written by ZEB WELLS
Pencils & Cover by JOE MADUREIRA
...
GET MAD! This is what you’ve been waiting for! The return of legendary artist Joe Madureira (X-Men, Battle Chasers) and fan-favorite Spidey writer Zeb Wells in a brand new, highly anticipated, monthly Spider-series that teams the wall-crawler up with some of the greatest heroes in the Marvel Universe. In our first issue, Spider-Man and Red Hulk take on a Moloid army during the New York Marathon! Stay safe until November because you’ll want to be here!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

Monthly, huh? We’ll see.

DAKEN: DARK WOLVERINE #17Written by ROB WILLIAMS
Penciled by MATTEO BUFFAGNI
Cover by GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI
"PRIDE COMES BEFORE IT" PART 2
GUEST-STARRING THE RUNAWAYS! Daken's Hollywood empire has been ripped to pieces and, with his healing factor still
damaged, he's desperate and running for his life. The Pride appears to have returned to Los Angeles, but who’s gotten the band back together?
32 PGS./Parental Advisory ...$2.99

It's been a long, long time since I've seen The Runaways pop up anywhere. Have I just been missing them, or is the first time someone's used them since the last volume of their series was canceled...?

There are an awful lot of Skottie Young covers this month; this one is for the FF title. You just don't see enough covers featuring Willie Lumpkin these days...

FANTASTIC FOUR #600Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN
Penciled by STEVE EPTING, CARMINE DI GIANDOMENICO,LEINIL YU, & FAREL DALRYMPLE
Cover by GABRIELE DELL’OTTO
...
"FOREVER" Part One
THIS IS IT! The 50th anniversary issue of the Fantastic Four! This month we begin the 5-part conclusion to the story that began over 30 issues ago. Joins us for the epic celebration of Marvel's First Family with 96 pages of all-new content written by Jonathan Hickman with art by Steve Epting, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Leinil Yu and Farel Dalrymple.
104 PGS./All-New Material/No Reprints/Rated T …$7.99

Farel Dalrymple!

This is another series I hope to read in trade someday. Word on the street is that it’s pretty good, right?

FEAR ITSELF #7.3 ThorWritten by MATT FRACTION
Pencils & Cover by ADAM KUBERT
Variant Cover by SALVADOR LARROCA
• Odin decides the final fate of Asgard...and it will never be the same.
• The heroes of the Nine Worlds bid farewell to one of their own.
• THOR NO MORE!
32 PGS./One-Shot/Rated T+ ...$3.99

.3?!

…

I hate you so much, comics industry.

HERC #10Written by FRED VAN LENTE & GREG PAK
Penciled by DAVID HAHN
Cover by CARLO PAGULAYAN
Variant Cover by MIKE OEMING
ENTER BABA YAGA! It’s hard to be a depowered deity. Herc knows this, and yet remains a hero. His father Zeus, however, is having a rough go of it. Adding to their troubles, the assassin ELEKTRA has joined with the Russian mob to take some powerful items from their Brooklyn home, which doesn’t sit well with the man they’re stolen from... the KINGPIN! Herc and Zeus are caught in the middle, and their only answer appears to be in a house that walks on giant chicken legs?!? Herculean writers Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente, along with artist extraordinaire David Hahn, craft one of delectable former demigod’s craziest adventures yet!
40 PGS./Rated T+ ...$3.99

That's a pretty swell cover by Mike Oeming, who would be an ideal artist for a Hercules comic, although that David Hahn fellow's no slouch in the art department either. Not sure why a cover artist working on a comic featuring Baba Yaga and her cottage would choose not to put her and/or it on the cover, though.

I can’t tell…are those giant green great white sharks? (Great Green sharks…?) Does that mean they are gamma-irradiated Hulk sharks? If so, that is awesome, and the sort of thing I’d pick up a $2.99 book to check out. But $3.99? Caleb hate $3.99/22 price point! Caleb smash!

I like Skottie Young’s cover for John Carter: A Princess of Mars #3 (Which still sounds like John is the princess referred to in the sub-title)

LEGION OF MONSTERS #2 (of 4)Written by DENNIS HOPELESS
Art & Cover by JUAN DOE
RIDE, MONSTERS, RIDE!
Humans are being killed in a wave of monster attacks...but the monsters are innocent! With a mystery murderer on the loose, and the survival of humanity at stake, Elsa Bloodstone and her sworn enemies the Legion of Monsters team up and hit the road!
32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$3.99

Geez, what could be better than a comic book full of Marvel's monster characters? Having Juan Doe draw it, of course. And cooler than that? Putting 'em all on motorcycles!

MAGNETO: NOT A HERO #1Written by SKOTTIE YOUNG
Pencils and Cover by CLAY MANN
The X-Men are shaken when Magneto finally goes villain again. The Master of Magnetism is caught on video murdering
members of an anti-mutant group. Why did he throw away everything he’s earned with the X-Men? Or is this just the only time he’s gotten caught? This new series by SKOTTIE YOUNG (WIZARD OF OZ) and CLAY MANN (X-MEN LEGACY) will change the way you look at the best X-Villain of all time!
32 PGS./Parental Advisory ...$2.99

Hmm, I wonder if "new series" means a new ongoing, or a new miniseries? At any rate, I was kind of surprised to see a Magneto series launching a few months after the last X-Men movie reminded us how cool Magneto could be, but I guess this has more to do with the changing status quo of the X-Men franchise given the events of "Schism." It's also worth noting that this one's written by Skottie Young, the artist for Marvel's Wizard of Oz adaptations, and tons of covers, most of which I've highlighted in this post.

SECRET AVENGERS #19 Written by WARREN ELLIS
Pencils by MICHAEL LARK
Cover by JOHN CASSADAY
...
RUN THE MISSION. DON'T GET SEEN. SAVE THE WORLD._In the decadent and crumbling city of ANIANA, in the Eastern European country of SYMKARIA, a local drug lord is planning to sell something mysterious to the Shadow Council. The Secret Avengers cannot risk that, or an interception after the fact -- they must get to the drug lord before the handover, and take whatever the goods are. Their covert mission uncovers something utterly unexpected, ancient and terrible and a threat to the entire world..._32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$2.99

SHAME ITSELF #1Written by WYATT CENAC, MICHAEL KUPPERMAN, ELLIOTT
KALAN,VICTOR VARNADO & MORE
Penciled by COLLEEN COOVER, DEAN HASPIEL, CLAYTON HENRY & MORE
Cover by SKOTTIE YOUNG
GET READY FOR THE MOST EARTH SHATTERING, WORLD DESTROYING, INSURANCE-RATE HIKING, EVENT IN MARVEL HISTORY SINCE THE LAST ONE! Wyatt Cenac and Elliott Kalan of “The Daily Show” lead a cavalcade of comedy’s finest minds to answer the questions about the Marvel Universe you were ashamed to ask! This Fall, the Marvel U will be rocked down to its spandex wearing core! Be ashamed. Be VERY ashamed! #shameitself
40 PGS./One-Shot/Rated T+ ...$3.99

Well, this is an odd project. Plenty of creators well worth paying attention to involved—Michael Kupperman, Colleen Coover, Dean Haspiel—and a couple of Daily Show contributors involved. Hmm.

SPIDER-MAN #20Written by PAUL TOBIN
Penciled by MATTEO LOLLI & ROB DiSALVO
Cover by ALE GARZA
THE SANDMAN’S BACK IN TOWN – AND SPIDER-MAN DECIDES TO LIE DOWN? The Sand-manipulating Flint Marko returns to town, so confident in his criminal ways that he's
calling ahead on his bank robberies and nobody... not the police and certainly not Spider-Man... can stop him! PLUS! Does
Spider-Man stand a Red Ghost a chance against a certain trio of Super Apes?
32 PGS./All Ages ...$2.99

Well, that looks pretty neat....

ULTIMATE COMICS HAWKEYE #4Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN
Penciled by RAFA SANDOVAL
Cover by KAARE ANDREWS
— A newly-developed mutant-serum puts the world on the brink of war!
— Caught in the international conflict, Hawkeye is outnumbered with all odds against—just as he likes it!
—If Hawkeye can’t save world, then who can?

Captain America. Or Thor. Or Iron Man. Or Nick Fury. Or Spider-Man. Or…well, anyone on the cover for Ultimate Comics Ultimates, I guess.

ULTIMATE COMICS ULTIMATES #4Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN
Penciled by ESAD RIBIC
Cover by KAARE ANDREWS
...
. The stunning climax to Jonathon Hickman’s first arc in the bold new Ultimate Universe!
. The Ultimates are officially back, but can they stop a threat more powerful than the gods?
. With the world on the brink of destruction, how can Nick Fury stop this unimaginable threat?

Wow, look at all these goofballs. Is this what’s left of the Ultimate Universe post-Jeph Loeb?

VICTOR VON DOOM #1Written by NICK SPENCER
Art & Cover by BECKY CLOONAN
The teenaged Victor Von Doom defends his life...in Hell. The undergrad who’ll grow to become Dr. Doom is an abrasive young genius surrounded by collegiate buffoons, wastrels, and dilettantes – like that insufferable Richards. But Doom knows he’s destined for greater things, and from his dorm he journeys fearlessly to Hell to save the spirit of his mom...and his struggle to get there, the trials he faces, and his subsequent failure will make him the man he’s to become. Nick Spencer and Becky Cloonan pull back the cloak to reveal the youthful, angsty, exuberant side of Victor Von Doom!
32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$2.99

Wow, look at that cover...! This looks and sounds pretty amazing.

*In the off-chance you have no idea what I'm talking about, here's Laura Hudson's Comics Alliance piece recounting the Comic Con controversy and answering DC Co-Publisher Dan DiDio's combative question, and here's DC's ultimate response, given after a lot of negative reaction to DiDio's original statements

1 comment:

What!? Hicman writes only 35-40 FF-adventures? I thought that he would write at least 40! His (and many others) run, by the way, is guite good a purhase. Even if it cost about 10 bucks/4-5 issues in trades. At least for now.

About Me

J. Caleb Mozzocco is a freelance writer and (extremely) amateur(-ish) artist who lives and works in Ohio.
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